Believed to be first public concert in nearly three years

Britney Spears returned to the stage at the San Diego House of Blues Tuesday.

Britney Spears strutted her way back to centre stage with a short, sexy set at the House of Blues in San Diego, believed to be her first public concert appearance in nearly three years.

The erstwhile pop star, more recently derided as a pop tart for her highly public forays into midnight carousing, appeared to be back in top form.

The 25-year-old mother of two went onstage late Tuesday wearing nothing more than knee-high go-go boots with a short white skirt and a sparkly pink bra top that showed off her belly button ring — and no evidence of the weight gain that landed her on celebrity tabloid covers last year. A long brown wig completed the outfit, covering the head she shaved in February.

She launched a short set with her classic Baby One More Time, using a cafe chair as a burlesque prop while she pranced around the small club stage backed up by four dancers.

Spears sped through the songs — all standards from her earlier albums — wrapping up after less than 15 minutes. She gave a shy goodbye before an old Madonna song came on over the sound system. “Thanks everyone for coming,” she told the packed club.